Brewdog: IPA Is Dead: Goldings (Scotland: IPA: 6.7% ABV)
Visual: Slightly hazy gold. Inch of mounded bubbles that are just off white.
Nose: Notable prickle. Pears in cinnamon. Soil undertone in the hops. Crumble toppings. Ginger bread.
Body: Apples and pear drops. Soil filled hops. Good bitterness. Apricot and stewed fruit. Banana sweets. Vanilla.
Finish: Dry and clinging bitterness. Pears again. Touch of very light aniseed. Slight curried taste. Soil. Malt drinks. Brambles.
Conclusion: Huh, the hop I was expecting least from is the surprise winner is this years IID series. Which does make me wonder why Goldings has always seemed so shit in other beers, but I digress.
A good bitterness, lots of light fruit and doesn’t suffer from the over spicy taste that came in the rest of this years IPA Is Dead series. Lots of pears, lots of hops and a light touch of vanilla. That is a robust set of flavours and done with style.
It is not all good news though, the finish is still slightly over dry and almost curried in flavor. The hops are also slightly muggy in the finish, but despite that it is still a pretty solid IPA.
Now what about the ever present oddity that comes with British hops, the earthy and soil like flavours? Well, yes they are there, no they don’t dominate. There is a solid undertone from them which could be what calms the usually over dry base in this years batch, similarly to how the creaminess did in the Dana hop version. Any which way it keeps to the back of the beer and lets pears, brambles, and stewed apricot play with cinnamon dusting at the front.
Of all of IID 2013 this is the oen I can happily recommend. It is not perfect, and there are still times when the dryness is overdone, but a bloody good IPA despite that. Yes.
From a Goldings hop beer. The world is full of surprises, eh?
Background: Yes, I know you were probably expecting a Japan beer review what with me just getting back. Still sorting everything out. This was the last beer I drank before the Japan trip, and the write up was mostly done already so thought I might as well put this up while I sort out. The last of the 2013 Single hop IPA set from Brewdog. This years set has been mixed so far, and I would rate below the last two years efforts. I have never really rated Goldings as a hop in beers I’ve had until now but have never tried it in a single hop beer yet. As always I am not an unbiased reviewer on Brewdog beers, but I try my best.